National Dolphin Research Centre(NDRC)

In news

After the monsoon, work on India’s first dolphin research centre(NDRC) will begin in Patna.

About the National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC)

NDRC is a big step for the conservation of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin.
It is coming up on the 4,400 square metre plot of land on the premises of Patna University, near the banks of the Ganga(200 metres from the Ganga).
Bihar urban development department has recently cleared the construction of NDRC building.
It will be set up by 2022.
NDRC would be beneficial for project Dolphin.
Montek Singh Ahulwalia, then-deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, had approved the proposal during his visits in mid-2011 to Bihar.

Significance

NDRC would boost conservation efforts of dolphins and would provide an opportunity for in-depth research on dolphins including its changing behaviour, survival skills, food habits, cause of death and other aspects.

What is Project Dolphin?

The project was launched in 2020 for the conservation and protection of the Dolphins in the country.
The Project Dolphin will involve conservation of Dolphins and the aquatic habitat through use of modern technology specially in enumeration and anti-poaching activities.
The project will engage the fishermen and other river/ ocean dependent population and will strive for improving the livelihood of the local communities.
The conservation of Dolphin will also envisage activities which will also help in the mitigation of pollution in rivers and in the oceans.
It will be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Gangetic river dolphin

It is India’s national aquatic animal.
It is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems.
It is a Schedule I animal under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
It has been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Gangetic river dolphin is one of four freshwater dolphin species in the world.
The other three are found in the Yangtze river in China (now extinct), the Indus river in Pakistan and the Amazon river in South America.
The dolphin is found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
In India, these dolphins are sighted in long deep river reaches in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
It is blind and finds its way and prey in river waters through echolocation/using ultrasonic sound waves.
Dolphins prefer water that is at least five to eight feet deep.
They are usually found in turbulent waters, where there are enough fish for them to feed on.
Gangetic dolphins live in a zone where there is little or no current, helping them save energy. If they sense danger, they can dive into deep waters.
As per official figures, there are about 3,700 Gangetic river dolphins in the Indian river systems.
The dolphins act as indicators of healthy river ecosystems.
The Conservation Action Plan for the Ganges River Dolphin 2010-2020, which “identified threats to Gangetic Dolphins and impact of river traffic, irrigation canals and depletion of prey-base on Dolphins populations”.